ic A Room with a View (IC)

[Fox]

Moving a couch was much, much easier to do when you could stuff the couch into a spatial fold and pull it back out where ever you darn well pleased. Less lifting, less backache, less sweating. No uncomfortable questions about how, exactly, she'd gotten it up there and into her apartment: she had an even stricter set of requirements for her new living space than she'd had for her new business building, and one of them had been no neighbor access. The building was old but reliable, and the front door led to only two things: a well-secured, windowless emergency stairwell, and an elevator.

Not cheap, but she could afford it, and it wasn't expense for the sake of expense - the building was nondescript and she'd chosen her piece of it for things besides the price tag. Let the big business billionaires spend money on fancy, state-of-the-art apartments just to show off their wealth; she'd happily go with something comfortable and reliable with a hell of a view.

[Gizmo]

Flopping down across the length to the couch once it had been slid into place, Ellie placed her hands behind her hair, recently trimmed and redyed a convincing black. The move had been much less tiring than it might have otherwise been thanks to Mara's physics bending technology, but between the trials of the summer and the hectic juggling of her university courses, superheroing and personal life the young woman had found herself feeling easily drained of late, emotionally as much as physically.

"This is nice," she opined, looking about the apartment from her reclined position. "Don't get me wrong, I dig the secret clubhouse vibe of the warehouse, but you deserve to live like real people for a change."

[Fox]

"Probably healthier," Mara mused, leaning on the back of the couch to look out over her new view. not as good as the Lab - but mine - my space "But can't prove I said so. More convenient, certainly - closer to food, shopping. Won't have to worry about either of us walking in bad parts of town. Can actually have guests over, in unlikely event I want guests in my home. ....very unlikely. Still. Probably useful one day."

She brushed some hair back behind one ear, looking...just tired. Archeville, then the Gorgon, then setting up her new business and finding a non-warehouse place to call home...it was taking a lot out of her, and she was awfully glad that most of it would be in the past soon.

[Gizmo]

"I feel like I should probably be trying to convince you to socialize more, but mostly I'm glad you're actually remembering to think about food," Ellie noted with a sardonic smile up at Mara as the blonde inventor leaned slightly over her reclined position. Even looking about as weary as the pre-med student felt, the sight of sunlight streaming through the window and across the engineer's face turned the smile several shades more guilelessly genuine than she'd originally intended.

The new apartment was considerably cozier than the repurposed warehouse, and conveniently situated roughly equal distance from the university and the Espadas household, both of which were reasons for hearty approval. Getting the Greenbank before or after classes had been arduous at best and with the Interceptors temporarily setting up shop in her family's home, privacy there had been limited. "On an unrelated note, this couch is fantastic," she continued innocuously, lifting and then lowering one foot from the knee.

[Fox]

"Yes," Mara agreed, distracted - briefly - by legs. "Am very fond of comfortable things. Large couches, overstuffed chairs, fluffy beds. Good for relaxing. And other things."

She blinked, reaching up to her collar and pulling a key attached to a small plastic tag out of literal nowhere. She held it out rather unceremoniously, though she wasn't quite playing it as cool as she was trying. "Reminds me - almost forgot. ....redundant. Anyway: your key. Key opens door, keychain piece has to be used at front door and elevator to get here. So you can visit, or crash even if I'm not here. Know you might not have...much privacy, right now. Might want quiet place to study? Very good sound-proofing."

[Gizmo]

Reaching up to take the key in both hands, Ellie felt her heartbeat quicken in her chest. It wasn't as if she hadn't expected to be welcome in the new apartment, nor was this any great change from their standing arrangement at the warehouse, but something about having a physical representation to squeeze her fingers around sent an electric thrill down her spine. "Thank you, Marbar," she said simply, the last vestiges of irony slipping from her broad grin as she bent herself upright just enough to slip the key into the pocket of her jeans. Reclining once again, she resumed her smirk. "Now stop being obtuse, muñequita. When your girlfriend starts talking about how comfortable the easily shared couch you're leaning against is, it would be fair to interpret it as an invitation."

[Fox]

Whatever pileup of worries, plans, thoughts and concerns Mara had built up in her head came to an almost audibly screeching halt, the part of her brain that had been distracted earlier smacking all the other brain parts in the hopes of ridding them of their case of the stupids.

Her reply was not so much the wry, mildly embarassed "Right...yes," as it was her standing up, making her way around to the front of the couch, and joining Ellie in reclining in comfort. More than comfort, really - the couch was probably big enough to not necessitate quite so much snuggling up to her girlfriend. "Better?" she asked, as dryly as she could manage.

[Gizmo]

"Well, obviously," Ellie sniffed haughtily even as she shifted her posture to best accommodate Mara's smaller frame next to her own. Getting properly comfortable, the young woman closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled softly, running a considerable risk of falling asleep right where she was. Instead, she reopened her eyes and tilted her chin to observe the view out the window over the top of her partner's head. "This is really nice. Not running around or fighting anything or..." Her voice caught in her throat briefly before she reiterated, "This is really nice."

[Fox]

Mara wriggled, just a bit, trying to get as comfortable on the new couch as possible without immediately falling asleep. "S'nice," she agreed. "Haven't had much time to...relax." She frowned, looking out the window as if she could somehow see their collective troubles among the buildings of the city. "Too many disasters, changes. Neither of us very good at...laid-back lifestyles, already. Better soon, maybe. More time for relaxing, snuggling. Hopefully apartment will help."

[Gizmo]

Maneuvering her arms around Mara's waist and resting her cheek atop the blonde's head, Ellie gave her a girlfriend a squeeze at the mention of the summer's trials. The taller girl had been reluctant to discuss either Archeville's betrayal or the Gorgon taking control of Willow, though it was certainly the former that had hit her harder; if anything, the planet killer's mind control had been distressing specifically because it had reminded her of her own loss of control. There were several beats of silence where it seemed as though she was about to say something, but ultimately she settled for hugging her girlfriend more closely and closing her eyes tightly.

[Fox]

Mara was pretty sure that there was something one probably should say in this situation; some sort of accepted social norm or societal grace that broke the ice or opened easy discussion or...or something. She wasn't very good at any of those things.

But she had to try anyway. "Do you...want to talk?" she asked, tentatively, squeezing Ellie. "Don't have to if you don't want to. Know recent events have been hard on both of us, but...worse on you. Here if you need me, always, for listening, or talking, or revenge plans."

[Gizmo]

The breath Ellie took as she prepared to respond pressed against Mara's back only to be released in a stifled snort as the inventor finished her offer of support. "Snerk. You're such a mad scientist when you're feeling protective," she noted with amusement, a considerable amount of tension draining from her shoulders as she drummed her fingers up and down her girlfriend's stomach. "I... I probably should talk about it, I just..." Sighing, the medic grimaced slightly. "Bottling everything up is sort of my default tactic. Turning it all inward. I feel pretty weird about dumping any of it on you."

[Fox]

"Not...that mad," Mara defended, grumping good-naturedly. "Would be a bloodless revenge. Devastating but no blood lost. It's why it would take planning."

A little more seriously, she intertwined her fingers with Ellie's, adding, "Know what it's like to bottle too much up. Works, usually, but...wears on you. Want to give you the option to not, if you wanted. Not really a 'should' - not going to tell you how to live your life. Not qualified. But...you know. Alternatives to ulcers."

[Gizmo]

Stifling a yawn as Mara's lacing fingers stilled her own, Ellie smirked slightly despite her melancholy. "So that mad, cariño, and don't you ever change," she teased, nuzzling her cheek into the top of the engineer's head affectionately. "I'd also say you're entitled to at least offer some strongly worded advice when I'm being, y'know, ulcer-inducing." As much as Mara maintained her own lack of expertise on any number of day-to-day subjects, there were ultimately few opinions that meant as much to the pre-med student. "I still feel like this shouldn't be bothering me as much as it is. I mean, ridiculous as it is, mind control happens in our line of work. Other heroes just shake it off."

[Fox]

"Have thought about that." Mara frowned a little; she was never really sure what she should think on the subject, for all that she had some experience there. "Think it's less about the mind control. More about who does controlling. Expect it from insane, sociopathic villains. Not...mmh." probably should have phrased that better "Not people we should trust. Not the same. Hurts more."

She squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "Think you're entitled to being bothered."

[Gizmo]

"It wasn't even for that long, though," Ellie rebutted, feeling a hot flush of shame touching her cheeks then attempting to bury it in Mara's blonde hair. Somewhat muffled, she continued, "Everything you went through..." One might have argued the technicalities of whether the superhumanly intelligent girl's years of abuse constituted 'mind control', but it was unarguably violation of the same sort, and, Ellie thought, on a scale magnitudes greater than her own trauma. "It's just... I didn't even fight it off, it was just... turned off. And I feel like it might come back any second."

[Fox]

"Shouldn't compare it to me," Mara admonished, shaking her head a little. "Different. Probably not technically mind control. And not caused by someone I trusted." voluntarily trusted - close enough "Besides. Didn't really fight mine off, exactly. Built up...scar tissue. Sort of. Not really the same."

She sighed a little, letting go of Ellie's hand to wriggle around to facing the young medic so that she could look her in the eyes. "Don't think mine was less horrible, just...think I got used to it. But shouldn't think you're silly or stupid for being...don't know. Afraid, or concerned. Would be concerned if you weren't. Mind control's...a bad feeling. Worse from someone you should trust. Am here for you, and would help you if it came back."

[Gizmo]

Softly sniffing involuntarily, the brunette shifted along with her girlfriend, moving the hand that wasn't pinned beneath Mara down to rest atop the shorter girl's hip. Managing a small smile, she admitted, "You would, too." Craning her neck, Ellie brushed her lips lightly across her partner's forehead before shifting to rest her own brow against it, meeting her gaze. "I know you feel bad about turning that satellite into a weapon, but it was probably the single sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me, so."

[Fox]

For just the briefest of moments Mara's face darkened - not at Ellie, but more like somebody who was remembering a recent shame, or fear, or something that made them angry with themselves. She'd run into that a lot lately, though, and it didn't take her more than a second to catch it and push the thought away. "Sweet, maybe. Not going to repeat it."

She gently tapped Ellie's forehead with her own, looking wry. "Next orbital weapon will be non-lethal only. Will try to make it more visually impressive, though. Send a message."

[Gizmo]

Mara's face only fell for a brief moment, but given their relative positions it would have been hard for Ellie to miss the expression. "Hey, stop that," she scolded without much heat, raising her free hand to deliver a light thwack to the blonde's hip. "You can't keep beating yourself up over that. Just, no. Vetoed!" Letting out a small breath that wasn't sure if it was a rueful chuckle or a resigned sigh, she sank a little bit deeper into the couch to make it easier to talk. "I think it's fair to save the giant space lasers for special occasions though, yeah. Speaking of which..." she continued, walking her fingers back up Mara's side, "What do you want for your birthday?"

[Fox]

"My what?" Mara blinked, the unexpected question (and Ellie's fingers) making it hard to focus on her self-reproach. She was pretty sure that was intentional, and she found that she didn't much mind.

It still took her a moment to remember the birthday thing, though. There was no regret or bad memories there, at least, just the kind of blank recognition of being reminded of something she never really thought about. "....birthday? ....mmh! Right. Don't...know? Had forgotten it was coming. December, I think?"

[Gizmo]

Rolling her eyes with an exasperated sound, Ellie shook her head as much as her reclined position would allow. "Honestly. December is what you told me when I asked ages ago, so I certainly hope so," the pre-med student harrumphed with exaggerated annoyance which was considerably undercut by choosing that moment to make a tangled mess of their feet and ankles. "I could just come up with something on my own, but there's your birthday, Christmas, our anniversary and Valentine's Day all within less than three months, so I'm going to run out of ideas without a little help."

[Fox]

Mara made a face. "Not...sure," she admitted, her fingertips taking sudden interest in the small of Ellie's back now that her brain had caught up. holidays - many holidays all at once - curious - intentional? "About what I want, I mean. Not used to getting gifts. Odd concept. Mmh...." guitar? - picky - expensive, too - should probably keep expense down - what do I want?

The engineer got that unfocused look that usually meant she was bending most of her brain to thinking on something and losing track of time and her surroundings...not that it seemed to impede her wandering hand any. It only took her a moment or three to snap back, though, and she bit her lip. "You. Us. I think I want - us. For a day, or more, sometime - birthday, maybe. Life's...too busy, lately; would...be nice to have time without distractions, or worries. Go somewhere. Enjoy ourselves. Don't know how well that would work, but seems worth trying."

[Gizmo]

Stretching and arching her back to welcome Mara's touch with a pleased sound deep in the back of her throat, Ellie simultaneously brought her knees together to embrace the the inventor's legs tightly, jeans shuffling against each other quietly. "Okay, we're going to have to find some way of categorizing the sweet things you do and say, now," she murmured with a broadening grin while her strolling fingers made their way up to stroke the space between shoulder and neck. "I think the base unit of measure should be 'one Marbar'. As a point of reference."

[Fox]

"Not that sweet," Mara faux-grumped; as Ellie's hands went high her own hands went low, though not so low they were impeded (much) by Ellie's pants. darn pants "Mostly selfish," she added, rather honestly. "Probably need a vacation anyway, and want you all to myself. No school, family, teammates. Just you."

The young woman frowned as she ran that back through her head. "Not that those things are wrong. Don't begrudge you those things. But for a birthday? Stealing you for myself. If you want to be stolen."